Evening Standard - Comedy

Adam Riches, Soho Theatre - review

Bruce Dessau — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:27:40 GMT

Riches pushes audience participation to its ultimate limit, crafting a gloriously stupid and unique event which literally puts the public centre-stage

Gagging for a laugh

Nirpal Dhaliwal — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:17:55 GMT

With demand for stand-up classes booming across London, Nirpal Dhaliwal puts his own funny bones to the test

Tim Vine claims funniest joke award

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:02:03 GMT

King of the one-liners saw off competition from acts including Jimmy Carr and magician Paul Daniels

Terry Alderton, Bloomsbury Theatre - review

Bruce Dessau — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:29:40 GMT

You get good value at a Terry Alderton gig. Not one Alderton but two

Frank Skinner & friends, Noel Coward Theatre - review

Bruce Dessau — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:04:40 GMT

Frank Skinner's last London appearance was hosting Credit Crunch Cabaret in 2009. His compering return coincides with more economic gloom but good personal news

Chris Ramsey, Soho Theatre - review

Bruce Dessau — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:11:00 GMT

Last summer Chris Ramsey was the surprise recipient of an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination. The 25-year-old was barely known then but word is spreading. The Soho Theatre was rammed last night for the London transfer. And justifiably

Alexei Sayle: Presents, Soho Theatre - review

Bruce Dessau — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:35:44 GMT

The eagerly anticipated comedy comeback of the bearded Liverpudlian after 16 years energetically shuttles between absurdity and politics

Henry Rollins, Festival Hall - review

Bruce Dessau — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:55:25 GMT

The black-clad raconteur stood rooted to the spot for two and a half hours without an interval or pause for breath but the minutes raced by

Blind Summit, Soho Theatre - review

Bruce Dessau — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:20:25 GMT

Blind Summit's The Table is not, strictly speaking, a comedy, but it was one of the funniest shows I saw on the Edinburgh Fringe last year. It now visits Soho as part of the London International Mime Festival

Steve Hughes to tackle Big Issues at Leicester Square Theatre

Amira Hashish — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:35:09 GMT

VIDEO: Steve Hughes is set to embark on his first UK tour. Here's a taste of what to expect

Exclusive - watch new Gap Yah video and interview with Orlando (Matt Lacey)

Amira Hashish — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:04:56 GMT

Orlando has released the ultimate Sloaney Planet guide to that all important year abroad. But, his creator Matt Lacey tells us, it's no ordinary travel book

Tim Key, Soho - review

Bruce Dessau — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:47:22 GMT

Masterslut is more ambitious and impressive project than its verse-heavy predecessor, Slutcracker, which won an Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2009

Michael McIntyre and Friends, Hammersmith Apollo - review

Bruce Dessau — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:03:59 GMT

Michael McIntyre may have quit Britain's Got Talent, but at least that means we will be seeing much more of him doing what he does best - standing on stage telling jokes

Russell Kane, Hammersmith Apollo - review

Bruce Dessau — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:25:19 GMT

Anticipation was sky high for the latest show from the 2010 Foster's Comedy Award winner. Rarely has a gig been so mind-blowing and also so disappointing

Penn & Teller, Indigo2 - review

Bruce Dessau — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:54:47 GMT

A night of amiable chat, interspersed with a handful of captivating stunts see Penn and Teller back on stage in "Conversations"

Set List / Rich Hall, Soho Theatre - review

Bruce Dessau — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:46:27 GMT

Set List has been a hit in America but on its first night here the only real fun was watching gifted gagsmiths wriggle in agony as their riffs failed to fly

Jason Manford, O2 Arena - review

Bruce Dessau — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:20:46 GMT

Jason Manford is the ultimate Teflon-coated comedian. Last year he survived a tabloid scandal over suggestive tweets and even more impressively this summer he survived fronting ITV1's misfire Show Me The Funny

Greg Davies, Leicester Square Theatre - review

Bruce Dessau — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:04:44 GMT

It is simple to see why this show is so popular. The genuinely true tall tales plus silly gags equal big laughs

Dave Gorman, Hammersmith Apollo - Review

Bruce Dessau — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:38:03 GMT

The playfulness of Dave Gormam's Powerpoint Presentation make this reflection on the "nutjobs" that populate the internet a winner

Stewart Lee, Leicester Square theatre - review

Bruce Dessau — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:11:43 GMT

The older Stewart Lee gets the more militant he becomes. Carpet Remnant World finds stand-up's Tony Benn raging at the state of the nation with satirical style

Hot tickets - Weekend comedy

Bruce Dessau — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:19:07 GMT

The Evening Standard previews the weekend's best comedy to look forward to

Hannah Gadsby, Soho Theatre - review

Bruce Dessau — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:22:31 GMT

Hannah Gadsby does not use a support act, she likes to warm the crowd herself: "It's like a budget airline. We prepare the cabin together"

Tommy Tiernan, Forum - review

Bruce Dessau — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:14:41 GMT

Tommy Tiernan is a major star in his native Ireland and a few minutes into this gig it was easy to see why

Sarah Millican, Hammersmith Apollo - review

Bruce Dessau — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:19:16 GMT

While many women are making inroads into mainstream UK stand-up, major-league comedy still feels like a man's game. The woman most likely to smash that testosterone barrier is Sarah Millican

Jack Whitehall, Hammersmith Apollo - review

Bruce Dessau — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:34:54 GMT

Jack Whitehall has been dismissed as a silver-spooned, posh-voiced irritant - but a rethink may be due